Robben wonder goal sends Bayern top

January 23, 2010


Dutch star Arjen Robben hit a second-half wonder goal on Saturday as Bayern Munich came from behind to win 3-2 at Werder Bremen as the German giants went top of the league.

Robben’s stunning direct free-kick gave Louis van Gaal-coached Bayern their sixth straight league win while the Holland star hit his fifth league goal of the season.

The flying Dutch winger, who signed for 24 million euros (33.9 million US dollars) from Real Madrid last summer, hit a curling free-kick which gave Bremen’s Germany goalkeeper Tim Wiese no chance of saving on 78 minutes.

It was a bitter blow for the home side who had opened the scoring after midfielder Aaron Hunt slotted home from close range after 10 minutes.

Bayern hit back when rising star Thomas Mueller scored after good work by Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on 25 minutes before Croatia striker Ivica Olic netted from a Philipp Lahm cross ten minutes later.

It left Bayern 2-1 up at the break as they welcomed back French midfielder Franck Ribery, who came on for Olic in the second-half to make his first appearance for Munich since suffering a knee injury on October 3.

Bremen equalised when Portugal striker Hugo Almeida slotted home a top-class goal on 75 minutes before Robben’s stunning winner.

An injury time goal from Bochum’s Slovakia striker Stanislav Sestak robbed Schalke of the chance to go top as the Royal Blues were held 2-2.

Schalke took the lead when Uruguay striker Vicente Sanchez converted a pass from Jefferson Farfan in the fifth minute before ex-Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi made it 2-0 to the hosts just before the half-time whistle.

The result left Felix Magath-coached Schalke third in the table, but second-placed Leverkusen have the chance to regain the lead on Sunday providing they win at Hoffenheim.

And defending champions Wolfsburg host struggling Cologne also on Sunday while fourth-placed Hamburg have the opportunity to get back into the league race if they win at fifth-placed Dortmund on Saturday night.

Having picked up only their second win of the season last weekened, bottom side Hertha Berlin were held 0-0 at home by Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Hertha’s Czech Republic goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny kept his side in the game when he saved a first-half penalty from ‘Gladbach’s midfielder Juan Arango from Venezuala while Nuremberg drew 1-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Having taken over from Andreas Bergmann as coach last week, new Hanover boss Mirko Slomka got off to a losing start when his side were beaten 1-0 at mid-table Mainz – their eighth game without a win.

BERLIN (AFP)

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Van Gaal, Loew clash over fitness test ‘madness’

January 22, 2010


Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal has described the fitness tests for national team players organised by Germany coach Joachim Loew next week as “madness”.

Loew has summoned 29 players, five from Bayern, for four days of tests in Stuttgart that will assess the condition of likely national squad players prior to this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

“I think it’s madness,” said Van Gaal on Friday, the day before his side’s league meeting with Werder Bremen. “For the clubs, paying our players and then making them available to the national team for four days is not right.”

Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller, Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose represent the Bayern contingent in Loew’s selection.

“We could have given them the results of our own physical tests. I’ve never experienced something like this and I’ve coached some big clubs,” added Van Gaal, a former manager of Barcelona, Ajax and the Dutch national side.

Loew responded to his critics by pointing out that the dates for the fitness tests had been agreed in advance.

“This get-together was organised a long time ago with the league and the clubs,” he told the SID German news agency.

“I understand the sporting priorities of Louis van Gaal, but we’re in a World Cup year and it’s in the interest of everyone in German football that the team is well prepared.

“That’s why I expect all the clubs to give all their support to the Nationalmannschaft (German national team) until, and during, the World Cup.”

Germany skipper Michael Ballack will not attend the tests in Stuttgart because his club Chelsea require his services for a Premier League match at home to Birmingham on Wednesday.

Van Gaal, meanwhile, will not participate in a seminar for Bundesliga coaches organised by Loew in Stuttgart on Monday, in which the national boss will outline his programme for the run-up to the World Cup.

The Dutchman will be in Portugal for a charity match raising funds for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

MUNICH, Germany (AFP)

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Loew names World Cup training squad

January 21, 2010


Germany coach Joachim Loew on Thursday named an extended group for a three-day World Cup training camp in Stuttgart to look at potential candidates for the final squad set to travel to South Africa.

The national squad is set to assemble in the southern German city on Sunday evening with extensive fitness tests planned until Wednesday next week.

Captain Michael Ballack will be missing, as he is involved in his club Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Birmingham City, while Cologne striker Lukas Podolski and Schalke defender Heiko Westermann are both injured.

Rising stars Thomas Mueller of Bayern Munich and Leverkusen’s Toni Kroos, both 20, are included while Hamburg defender David Aogo has also been called up.

Defenders Robert Huth, of English club Stoke City, and Stuttgart’s Christian Traesch are also included.

“The 30-man squad is of players who played a role in our team over the last few months and for younger players who are prospective talent for the World Cup,” said Loew.

“This group, as well as those who can’t attend the Stuttgart training through injury, will be observed through the coming months.

“Of course, the door is not closed to other candidates, but they will need to produce significant performances from now up until the end of the season.”

Goalkeepers

Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Defenders

Dennis Aogo (Hamburg), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Stoke City/ENG), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schaefer (VfL Wolfsburg), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart), Christian Traesch (VfB Stuttgart)

Midfield

Christian Gentner (VfL Wolfsburg), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Aaron Hunt (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Sami Khedira (VfB Stuttgart), Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Oezil (Werder Bremen), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg)

Forwards

Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Patrick Helmes (Bayer Leverkusen), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich)

BERLIN (AFP)

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Klose breaks goal drought to fire Bayern top

January 16, 2010


Germany striker Miroslav Klose came off the bench to help fire Bayern Munich back to the top of the Bundesliga after more than 600 days away as the German giants beat Hoffenheim 2-0 on Friday.

Despite being top-scorer at the 2006 World Cup, this was Klose’s first league goal of the season and he started the game as third-choice striker behind Germany team-mate Mario Gomez and Croatia’s Ivica Olic.

Klose, 31, took over from Olic after 63 minutes and then netted from close-range on 86 minutes to hand Louis van Gaal’s Bayern a single-point lead at the top of the table as action resumed after the long winter break.

“It is good to be league leaders again and it was nice to be able to get a goal,” said Klose.

It was the best proof to van Gaal that Klose is back in business and the Dutchman said the victory is a clear message to the rest of the Bundesliga – Bayern are back in business.

“I think the rest of the league has seen we have a good team,” said van Gaal.

“I have always wanted us to spread some fear through the other teams and I think we did this today. In the first-half, we did not play well and we gave away too many passes.

“We played much better in the second-half and we created many chances, not all of which were taken.”

Argentina centre-back Martin Demichelis had opened the scoring for Bayern in the first half, but despite the win, Bayer Leverkusen could regain the lead on Saturday when they face mid-table Mainz.

Bayern have been crowned German champions 21 times, but May 17, 2008 was the last time they had sat on top of the Bundesliga.

The hosts took the lead at Munich’s Allianz Arena after 35 minutes when Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger crossed in the ball from the right and Hoffenheim defender Josip Simunic headed the ball onto the back post.

Demichelis, who is set to play for his country against Germany in a pre-World Cup friendly in Munich in March, stabbed the ball home from five metres out.

Klose, who has only made eight league starts this season due to injury, proved his status as Germany’s number one striker with some clinical finishing to make sure van Gaal’s team claimed the three points.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben passed back to captain Mark van Bommel on the edge of the penalty area and his speculative shot was stabbed home by Klose, who was the fastest to react.

With 48 goals for Germany in 93 appearances, Klose showed just why he is, injury permitting, almost sure of being in Joachim Loew’s squad for the World Cup in South Africa in June.

The defeat leaves Hoffenheim seventh, but Bayern could still finish the weekend only third if both Leverkusen and Schalke, who face second-from-bottom Nuremberg on Sunday, pick up three points.

BERLIN (AFP)

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Germany stars request Enke memorial game

November 14, 2009


Germany’s top players including Michael Ballack and Bastian Schweinsteiger have requested the German Football Federation (DFB) hold a memorial game for tragic goalkeeper Robert Enke.

The 32-year-old shot-stopper committed suicide last Tuesday by flinging himself under a commuter train passing through his home town of Neustadt am Ruebenberge, near Hanover, having suffered from depression since 2003.

The ex-national team goalkeeper, who won the last of his eight caps in August and helped Germany qualify for the 2010 World Cup, will be buried on Sunday after a memorial service at his home club.

Up to 100,000 people are expected at Hanover 96’s stadium for a memorial service which will be attended by the entire Germany squad before Enke’s coffin is carried out of the stadium by six Hanover team-mates.

With Germany playing a friendly against the Ivory Coast on Wednesday, the national team led by Ballack will attend a service for Enke on Sunday morning and then train in Duesseldorf in the afternoon to prepare for the game.

After consultation with the players, Germany coach Joachim Loew opted to bring the squad together to prepare in the aftermath of Enke’s tragic death.

Saturday’s planned friendly international between Germany and Chile, which had been due to be held in Cologne, was called off as a mark of respect, but the national team’s stars on Friday asked the DFB to consider holding a memorial match.

“The players have asked if there can be some sort of game next year to allow them to say goodbye to Robert,” the DFB’s secretary general Wolfgang Niersbach told German tabloid Bild.

Enke was set to travel with the Germany squad to South Africa for next June’s World Cup before his tragic death and one possibility is the full national side could play Enke’s club Hanover 96 in a warm-up match.

Meanwhile, DFB president Theo Zwanziger says more must be done in the sport to break the taboos around depression.

“After this tragedy, we must think about the issues in football and look at ways of breaking some of the existing taboos,” Zwanziger told German tabloid Bild.

Enke leaves behind his wife Teresa, 33, and eight-month-old daughter Leila, whom the couple adopted in May — three years after their two-year-old daughter Lara died from a heart infection.

The Germany goalkeeper will be buried on Sunday next to the grave of his daughter.

BERLIN (AFP)

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Beckenbauer criticizes Van Bommel

November 5, 2009


The dramatic loss against Bordeaux (0-2) meant a huge blow to Bayern Munich’s self-confidence. President Franz Beckenbauer was disappointed with the way Bayern played and especially with Mark van Bommel’s performance.

“Of course it’s nice to play well and be dominant on the pitch,” said Der Kaiser in Bild. “But what’s the use of 70 per cent possession if the ball doesn’t move forward? You’ve got ninety minutes to claim the win, but then you can’t afford making blunders like Mark van Bommel did for 1-0.”

“Only Arjen Robben, who came on in the second half, brought a bit more pace in Bayern’s play. He’s fast and capable of beating his direct opponent 1 on 1. That causes confusion with the opponent. Another player who’s able to do that, is Bastian Schweinsteiger. He proved that in earlier games. Unfortunately, only in the German team.”

Meanwhile, Bayern boss Louis van Gaal prepares for the next, important match against Schalke 04, on Saturday. The Dutch coach has consequently decided to cancel training on Thursday, â??so that he players freshen up mentally and turn their attention to Schalke.”

“It’s another important game,” acknowledged Van Gaal, “and itâ??s another one we have to win.”

Paul Haring

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Impressive Bordeaux progress in Champions League, Bayern on the edge

November 4, 2009


Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh’s late goal sealed a 2-0 win at Bayern Munich to put the French side into the Champions League’s knock-out stages and effectively knock the Germans out.

After midfielder Yoann Gourcuff scored with a first-half header, Chamakh took advantage of a mistake by Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt to slot the second goal on the verge of injury-time.

The French league leaders left Bavaria with three precious points while Bayern’s dreams of reaching the next phase are all but over after the defeat.

With two games left – at Juventus and home to Maccabi Haifa – remaining in the group stages, Bayern now need a miracle to qualify as the defeat leaves them third in the table six points behind leaders Bordeaux and four behind Juventus.

But Bordeaux are now in the knock-out phases even before Juventus visit the Stade Chaban-Delmas at the end of the month while facing a trip to Israel Maccabi Haifa next month.

After a slow start, Bayern had several clear chances to take the lead mid-way through the first-half, but were denied both by French goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso and bad fortune.

Coach Louis van Gaal opted for Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni and Germany striker Miroslav Klose as strikers and the pair squandered a host of chances to score.

Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger curled in a superb free-kick which Carrasso did well to palm around the post with half an hour gone.

And Klose was denied a clear chance to score after Toni headed across the face of the goal and Bordeaux defender Michael Ciani blocked the shot wit his arm, but the referee missed what should have been a clear penalty.

Bordeaux took the lead when Brazil midfielder Mauricio found Gourcuff with an inch-perfect free-kick which the Frenchman headed past Butt on 37 minutes.

Van Gaal brought on Arjen Robben just after half-time almost a month after the Dutchman injured his knee in the 0-0 draw with Juventus.

The winger created several chances down the flanks, but captain Mark van Bommel and Toni both squandered golden chances to equalise with Carrasso beaten, but fired wide.

With time running out, van Bommel fired a weak shot which gave Carrasso absolutely no problems, but at the other end, Butt came off his line too soon to leave Chamakh with a simple tap in on 89 minutes.

MUNICH (AFP)

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Time to back Babbel, says Heldt

October 30, 2009


Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt has called on everybody to club together to help under-fire coach Markus Babbel lead them out of a crisis.

Babbel’s position as coach of the Swabians was confirmed on Wednesday despite defeat by Greuther Furth in the DFB-Pokal, but only a positive result against Bayern Munich on Saturday can save him from further castigation.

And after showing his and the board’s full backing for Babbel, Heldt has called on the whole club to get behind him.

“We can only get out of this crisis together,” he said. “We now need a community and that does not only mean on the field, but off it also.

“We need our fans to help us out of this difficult situation.”

Babbel would probably have preferred anybody but Bayern as opponents, but Heldt said the “name of the opponent doesn’t matter one bit” and that the “important thing is that the team does all it can to win again”.

Bayern appear to have left their own crisis behind them and have moved up to within four points of the joint league leaders Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen.

However, trouble is always brewing at Bayern and this time it comes in the shape of central defender Martin Demichelis who has criticised coach Louis van Gaal in an interview with the Bild newspaper.

“I am not the only player who has been out for a long time, yet I have to fight for my place back in the team. That makes me angry and bitter,” he said.

“I am fit and am doing everything to help this team and I would have expected the same kind of support that other players who were making a comeback received.”

Demichelis was referring to Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger, who walked straight back into the team after injury whereas he has had to sit on the bench in the last few games.

But he has vowed to knuckle down and prove Van Gaal he is wrong to leave him out.

“I have loved and defended this shirt for seven years and it is like my second skin,” he added. “But I also know that a professional footballer cannot rest on his laurels so I will fight to the death.”

Demichelis will be given his chance in next week’s Champions League tie against Bordeaux, when Daniel van Buyten will be suspended, but Van Gaal is unlikely to make any changes to his side this weekend.

Abhimanyu Rajput

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Bayern defender van Buyten praises team spirit

October 25, 2009


Defender Daniel van Buyten headed Bayern Munich’s late goal which sealed a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt and insisted it was the German giants’ determination which saw them through.

Van Buyten?s 88th-minute goal gave Bayern the three points on Saturday which lifted them to fifth in the table after Saturday’s matches, just four points behind leaders Leverkusen who drew 1-1 with Dortmund on Friday.

After Alexander Meier converted Frankfurt’s first chance into a 60th minute goal, Dutch winger Arjen Robben banged home the equaliser before van Buyten powered home his header two minutes from time.

“Frankfurt scored with their first chance, which obviously made it even more of a pressure situation,” said van Buyten with Bayern set to host Leverkusen in the Bavaria derby in Munich on Sunday November 22.

“But that just spurred us to get forward.

“We were utterly determined to win, we started taking far more risks, we kept on creating chances, and at the end of the day, we?ve taken the three points.”

Bayern captain Mark van Bommel praised his side’s spirit to come back from behind to win the game.

“We had five or six very good chances in the first half, and we had to be putting those away,” said the Dutchman.

“It would have made it a whole lot easier for us.

“But we fell behind, and that?s when we needed to show great character.

“We responded with total conviction.”

And Germany defender Bastian Schweinsteiger wondered if Bayern are suffering from some sort of curse after conceding Meier scored with Frankfurt’s first decent attack of the game.

“No-one can have imagined Frankfurt would take the lead here,” he said.

“It feels like we?re cursed.

“We had all the play, we dominated possession and had loads of chances – and they get into the final third once and score.

“We threw men forward after that and fully deserved to win 2-1.

“Those are three vital points. We haven?t put our world to rights yet, but it all looks a bit better now.

“Our goal is to take maximum points from the games up to Christmas.”

BERLIN (AFP)

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Lack of goals makes Bayern´s Schweinsteiger ´sick´

October 4, 2009


Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger admitted he felt ’sick’ about the German giants’ lack of goals after his side were held to a 0-0 draw by Cologne on Saturday.

Following Wednesday’s goalless draw with Juventus in the Champions League and last Saturday’s 1-0 German league defeat at Hamburg, Bayern have now gone three games without scoring and Germany star Schweinsteiger says the lack of goals is sickening.

“You simply have to score at home,” said Schweini’, with Bayern seventh in the table after the clash at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

“As we say in Bavaria, it’s enough to make you sick – and that’s how it is.

“We had so many chances, but we’ve failed to score.

“We hit the bar, or we hit our own players.

“We were unlucky on occasion, but sometimes we weren’t ruthless or smart enough.

“It’s a bit depressing frankly. It’s a real shame we?ve only taken a point.”

An uninspired display against defence-minded Cologne cost Bayern two points with the Bundesliga now breaking for two weeks due to next weekend’s international matches.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal admitted it was far from an impressive result against a limited Cologne side.

“Not winning is disappointing,” said the Dutchman after Bayern fans expressed their frustration at the lack of goals.

“The players worked hard, but it’s difficult against a team which only comes to defend.

“They pulled 10 men back like a wall.

“You need a little luck in that situation.

“We didn’t make our own luck, but that’s what you have to do.

“We stopped making chances after half-time, we had a few crosses, but they were poor.

“The first man in the box headed every single one clear.

“I always try and find a solution from the bench, but there wasn’t one today.

“We played good, controlled football, but the crowd doesn’t see that.

“The fans want goals – and they’re right. The title race is far from over. The prizes are handed out in April, May, not now.”

Bayer Leverkusen took over at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 4-0 mauling of struggling Nuremberg.

With Hamburg playing bottom side Hertha Berlin – who have announced Friedhelm Funkel as their new coach – on Sunday, Leverkusen blitzed Nuremberg with three first-half goals.

Bayer enjoyed a dream start when midfielder Toni Kroos netted from a direct free-kick after just two minutes with Germany midfielder Simon Rolfes adding the second from a spot-kick on 28 minutes.

Leverkusen striker Eren Derdiyok added to Nuremberg’s misery when he scored in the 34th minute before his partner up front Steffan Kiessling headed home the fourth goal on 68 minutes to give Bayer’s goal difference a boost.

“Toni Kroos’ early goal helped us take control and we played some outstanding football,” said Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes.

“The most important thing for me was that we didn’t take our foot off the gas after going 3-0 up.

“It is very pleasing that the team came out in a solid and stable performance in defence, that gives us confidence for the future.”

BERLIN (AFP)

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